Orion Forum
The Orion Forum is a collectivised intergovernmental federation of space-faring races residing within the Milky Way Galaxy. Serving to promote interplanetary co-operation, the Forum is divided into several organisations, ranging from law enforcement agencies to galactic security and peace keeping initiatives. The central body of the Orion Forum is the Council of Races, where every member nation convenes to discuss important topics and address issues that affect the galaxy as a whole. Founded by the remnant civilizations of the Order, the Orion Forum has grown both in size and power since its inception. The Forum issues and maintains the universal Galactic Credit through the Central Galactic Bank. It serves as the heart of galactic politics. History Formation After the Milky Way Galaxy was isolated from the rest of the Order following the Great Battle of Elysia, the dwindling resources and supplies left behind were fought for by the remnants of the colonies founded by Order races that existed prior to the Order’s collapse. A chain of long worn out wars between these races left the Central Galactic Worlds ravaged and ruined. In order to preserve galactic-wide security and peace, the three major post-Order races, known today simply as the Yiodhar Guardians, the Skorge Continuum and the Confederation of Genui Planets signed a writ of peace that led to the formation of what would become the Orion Forum. The signing of the Orion Pact was held on the Yiodhar world of Yiodsolaris. Following the signing, the three nations used their advanced technology and understanding to bring about a period of recovery fraught with occasional famines, periods of unrest and civil instability. The signing did not satisfy all parties, leading to the rise of the pro-independence dictator Virgo Ellarid, who seized control of the Yiodhar government through a coup. In an attempt to break free from the Pact, he launched an invasion of the galaxy. The subsequent First Galactic War was untold in brutality. Mass genocides were enacted by Yiodharic soldiers. Eventually, the remaining races banded together and defeated the Yiodhar in the decisive Great Battle of Yiodsolaris. In the ruins of Yiodsolaris, right below the Arch of Friendship where the original Pact was signed, the victorious races ratified the Skorge Edict, laying out boundaries for conduct of war including treatment of PoW's. This event is known as the Orion Restoration and led to the period of rapid recovery, peace and stability that followed. Expansion Over the next 100,000 years, the Orion Forum evolved. As new species joined the organisation, its power and size expanded and doubled. The adoption of the galactic-wide currency, known as the credit, led to the rise of a new generation of banking, spearheaded by banking organisation such as the Solaris Treasury. Furthermore, the Forum’s increasing involvement in cold wars and heated conflicts between its powerful member states allowed the organisation to maintain galactic peace, sometimes in almost impossible odds. As time passed, civilizations appeared and faded away, empires rose and crumbled and new races filled old seats. This led to the establishment of the Galactic Calendar, which divided the Forum’s existence into eras, allowing for easier archiving of historical data. The creation of the Council of Races allowed every sentient race in the galaxy to convene together and discuss important issues and address problems that affected the galaxy as a whole. Sixth Galactic Era The Sixth and current galactic era saw the rise of nations such as the Bryckster Faction, an ancient race of machines, the Energis Coalition and the Niraxian Empire. Through a series of conquests and technological crusades, the Niraxian Empire grew to become one of the Forum’s largest civilizations, economically and militarily. Following closely was the Energis Coalition, a union of former planet-states which united under the mysterious yet powerful figure known simply as Powersurge. Meanwhile, the Bryckster Faction continued to grow despite repeated warnings from the Orion Forum. The Bryckster’s synthetic nature granted them complete independence from galactic affairs, allowing them to amass the largest military force the galaxy had seen. As tensions between the three superpowers rose, the Orion Forum’s attempts to quell the rising notions of war failed. This failure would be realised when the Bryckster Faction launched a surprise invasion of the Central Galactic Worlds, overrunning the densely populated space with an invasion force the likes of which had never been seen before. A second equally large invasion force led an assault on the Niraxian Empire and Energis Coalition, dragging the three powers into the most destructive war the galaxy had ever seen since the First Galactic War. Although the Brycksters saw consistent strings of victories against its enemies in the early half of the war, several crippling defeats in the Niraxian and Energis theatres of war led to the Brycksters losing control of the initiative against their enemies. This, combined with an unsustainable production system and stretched supply chains made it difficult for the Bryckster war machine to resupply its military forces in the Central Galactic Worlds. Sensing this, the Energis Coalition and Niraxian Empire signed an alliance, brokered by the Orion Forum and focused on stopping the Bryckster Faction together. The Energis launched a fresh assault into the rear of the Bryckster’s lines, cutting through their supply lines, while the Niraxians sent reinforcements into the Central Galactic Worlds to retake lost planets. This led to the collapse of the Bryckster Faction’s wartime efforts. As the war quickly turned around, the Bryckster Faction sued for peace leading to the Orion Treaty effectively ending the war. Modern Day In modern times, the Orion Forum has seen a small increase in membership, as it welcomed the United Earth Republic into its ranks. Structure The Orion Forum is divided into several bodies, which address different matters in the Galaxy. Notable bodies include: The Galactic Security Council, which administers peace over its members through resolutions. The Galactic Board of Economic Affairs, which maintains and regulates interplanetary trade laws and conventions. The Interplanetary Organisation of Spacefaring Vessels, which administers the Law of Space in relation to cargo ships that trade throughout the galaxy. It also enforces stringent safety requirements.